BMW M's Head of Product Management has revealed the M3 and M4 could eventually be equipped with a four-cylinder engine.

BMW M's Head of Product Management has revealed the M3 and M4 could eventually be equipped with a four-cylinder engine.

Speaking to Motoring, Carsten Pries said “We do not start our design process with a power output in mind" but "for sure, you could see a future [M3 and M4] powered by a four-cylinder engine."

While that's far from a confirmation Pries said replacing the six-cylinder engine with a four-cylinder unit would help to reduce the car's weight. As he explained, “If we have a car with less mass, it is foreseeable that the [performance] targets we set could be reached with a four [cylinder engine]."

As a refresher, the current M3 and M4 are powered by a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder engine that develops 431 PS (317 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. It enables the cars to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in as little as 4.1 seconds.